“Go, Daddy!”
With those words from his four year old son, Miles, Justin Gillette receives a burst of energy and charges past the finish line.
The Gillette family is very close, and Melissa, Jasmine, and Miles always have Justin’s back.
The Gillettes are made up of Justin and Melissa, and their kids: Miles, their four year old son, and Jasmine, their one year old daughter. Approximately 80 of his week’s 110 training miles are run while Justin Gillette pushes his kids in a stroller. He trains a lot, but keeps his family very close to him. Gillette agrees that “kids are more fun than winning any race.” For example, a few days ago, Jasmine alternated between “playing with her toys and then running up to give Daddy a kiss.” Gillette is very close to his kids.
Melissa Gillette, Justin’s wife, is also a runner. Sometimes, they run together to train and bond. Justin spends lots of time with his kids, since Melissa just got her PhD and is busy working at a cancer center.
“My job was to work hard; get money for my family. Now my wife’s out of college, I think I did my job.” says Gillette.
Justin Gillette still trains by himself a lot, in between being a dad and a husband. he runs about 30 miles alone each week in his neighborhood. In addition, the morning of a race, he spends time alone to prepare himself.
In all, Justin Gillette is a dedicated dad, husband, and runner. No matter what place her gets in a race, he knows his three biggest fans will always cheer him on.